Golf club

Abstract

To provide a golf club in which unbalanced film thickness of a plating layer of a face surface can be easily identified with a color tone while a surface of a metal head is preferably decorated with chromium plating of a chromatic color.SOLUTION: A golf club is provided with a plating layer 10 of a chromatic color in a surface of a metal head 1a. The plating layer 10 of the chromatic color is a chromium plating layer 11 of a multiple color tones whose color tone varies depending on a film thickness. The chromium plating layer 11 of the multiple color tones is a chromium plating layer including a plurality of color tone regions in which both sides 12a, 12b of a color tone boundary line 12 have different color tones.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a golf club having a metal head whose surface is covered with a plating layer, and more particularly to a golf club having a metal head whose surface is covered with a plating layer having a beautiful color pattern. [Background technology]

[0002] Golf clubs with plated head surfaces have been developed (Patent Documents 1 and 2). The golf club disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a strike nickel plating, a bright nickel plating layer, and a 1-5 μm hard plating layer laminated on the surface of an austenitic stainless steel head to prevent the head surface from being scratched. In addition, the head is made of SUS304, a stainless steel with excellent workability, and the surface is hardened by the plating layer. The above golf clubs activate the stainless steel head surface with strike nickel plating, provide a bright nickel plating layer on the strike plating surface to impart gloss and improve the aesthetics, and laminate a hard plating layer on the bright nickel plating surface to increase the surface hardness, improve wear resistance, and suppress scratching.

[0003] The golf club of Patent Document 2 has a ternary alloy coating made of Ni-BW formed on the surface of the metal head of the golf club. In this golf club, the surface hardness of the face is increased by the ternary alloy coating to increase the flight distance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3465787 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 2546611 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The golf clubs described above have a hard plating layer on the surface of the head, making the surface hardness higher than that of the base metal. The head can increase the flight distance of the ball while improving the wear resistance by increasing the surface hardness of the face, but since an imbalance in the surface hardness of the face affects the local wear resistance and the flight trajectory of the ball, it is required that the plating layer on the face surface be made uniform in thickness. The metal head is negatively charged by immersing it in a plating solution, and the metal ions that have become positive in the plating solution are attracted to the surface by electrical attraction to form a plating layer. The attraction force with which the positive metal ions in the plating solution are attracted to the negative head surface is proportional to the electric field strength. In principle, a uniform hard plating layer can be formed on the surface by applying a uniform electric field strength to the entire surface of the head, but in the actual plating process, it is extremely difficult to apply a uniform electric field strength to the entire surface of the head. Therefore, the thickness of the plating layer attached to the head surface becomes uneven due to the imbalance in the electric field strength. Although the surface hardness of a golf club can be increased by providing a plating layer on the face, it is extremely difficult to provide a plating layer with a uniform thickness on the face surface. The imbalance in the thickness of the plating layer provided on the face surface reduces the local wear resistance and also causes the ball's flight trajectory to be distorted. However, as described above, the thickness of the plating layer is affected by the electric field strength on the head surface when immersed in the plating solution, and it is extremely difficult to equalize the electric field strength on the surface, so it is extremely difficult to provide a plating layer with a uniform thickness on the face. Furthermore, the imbalance in the thickness of the plating layer can be detected by measuring the thickness of the plating layer locally at multiple points, but this detection requires the thickness to be detected at multiple points, which is extremely time-consuming. Therefore, there is a drawback in that it is extremely time-consuming to detect the imbalance in the thickness of the plating layer on the face surface.

[0006] The present disclosure has been developed with the objective of further eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks, and one of the objectives of the present disclosure is to provide a golf club with a chromatic head, in which the surface of the head is beautifully decorated with chromatic chrome plating, while any imbalance in the film thickness of the plating layer on the face surface can be easily identified by its hue. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A golf club with a chromatic head according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has a chromatic plating layer on the surface of the metal head. The chromatic plating layer is a multi-hue chrome plating layer with different hues due to differences in film thickness. The multi-hue chrome plating layer has different hues on both sides of a hue boundary line. Furthermore, the multi-hue chrome plating layer is a chrome plating layer consisting of multiple hue regions. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The chromatic head golf clubs described above have the advantage that the surface of the metal head is beautifully decorated with chromatic chrome plating, while any imbalance in the thickness of the plating layer on the face surface can be easily identified by its hue. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic front view showing a golf club head according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the head of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 1 is a front photograph showing an example of a head. [Figure 4] 13 is a front photograph showing another example of a head. [Diagram 5] 1 is a rear photograph showing an example of a head. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a plating layer of a head. [Figure 7] 3 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view showing the concaves and convexes of the score lines of the head. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, terms indicating specific directions or positions (e.g., "upper", "lower", and other terms including these terms) are used as necessary, but the use of these terms is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the invention with reference to the drawings, and the meanings of these terms do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, parts with the same reference numerals appearing in multiple drawings indicate the same or equivalent parts or members. Furthermore, the embodiments shown below are specific examples of the technical ideas of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention to the following. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described below are intended to be illustrative and not to limit the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the contents described in one embodiment or example can be applied to other embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the sizes and positional relationships of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated to clarify the explanation.

[0011] The present invention may be specified by the following configurations and features. A golf club with a chromatic head according to one embodiment of the present disclosure has a chromatic plating layer on the surface of the metal head. The chromatic plating layer is a multi-hue chrome plating layer whose hues differ depending on the thickness of the film. The multi-hue chrome plating layer has different hues on both sides of a hue boundary line. Furthermore, the multi-hue chrome plating layer is a chrome plating layer consisting of multiple hue regions.

[0012] The above golf clubs have the advantage that the surface of the metal head can be beautifully decorated by covering it with a chromatic plating layer. Furthermore, the above golf clubs have the advantage that the chromatic plating layer is provided on the face surface, and the difference in the film thickness of this plating layer can be distinguished by its hue, making it easy to identify the imbalance in film thickness. Furthermore, the above golf clubs have the advantage that the face is covered with a multi-hued chrome plating layer, increasing the surface hardness that affects the flight distance, and improving the wear resistance. Furthermore, since the difference in film thickness can be distinguished by the difference in the hue of the face surface, it is possible to realize the advantage that the imbalance in film thickness on the face surface can be distinguished by its hue, and a head with an equalized surface hardness can be selected to equalize the flight trajectory of the ball.

[0013] The above golf club has a metal head surface decorated with a multi-hue chrome plating layer consisting of multiple hue regions with different hues on either side of a hue boundary line, and the multi-hue chrome plating layer is a chrome plating layer in which different hues are achieved by differences in film thickness. This has the advantage that while the surface of the metal head is beautifully decorated with chromatic chrome plating, any imbalance in film thickness of the plating layer on the face surface can be easily identified by its hue.

[0014] Chrome plating is harder than metallic chrome and is the hardest coating of a single metal. Even thin-film chrome plating has a hardness comparable to that of hard chrome plating. Therefore, by providing a thin-film, multi-color chrome plating layer whose hue varies depending on the film thickness on the face surface, it is possible to increase the surface hardness, improve wear resistance, and increase the flight distance.

[0015] Furthermore, the metal head (head) has scorelines consisting of multiple rows of lateral grooves in the area of ​​the face where the ball is hit, but the above golf club has the feature of being able to suppress damage to the scorelines with a multi-color chrome plating layer. The scorelines are important lateral grooves that impart spin to the hit ball. Damage to the scorelines reduces the spin of the ball, so it is extremely important to minimize damage as much as possible. The corners on both sides of the lateral groove opening are susceptible to damage, but since this area imparts spin to the ball, it is important to suppress damage to this area. The scorelines are damaged by dirt and sand that gets stuck when the ball is hit, but the dirt and sand that gets stuck here contains sand that is harder than metals such as stainless steel, titanium, and soft iron, which are the base metal of the head, so it is difficult to minimize damage to the scorelines caused by the dirt and sand that gets stuck. The multi-color chrome plating layer is made of chrome plating, which is one of the hardest coatings in electroplating, and has a higher surface hardness than base metals such as stainless steel, titanium, and soft iron. By covering the openings of the score lines with the multi-color chrome plating layer, which has a high surface hardness, it is possible to suppress abrasion caused by dirt and sand.

[0016] Furthermore, the multi-hued chrome plating layer is thin and achieves beautiful hues, so it has the advantage of being able to cover the face with a thin, crack-free, multi-hued chrome plating layer, which also provides corrosion resistance.

[0017] In the golf club with a chromatic head according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the region near the impact point on the face of the metal head can be a single color region, and the hue boundary line can be located outside the region near the impact point. The golf club described above has a feature that the surface of the metal head is beautifully decorated with chromatic chrome plating, while the imbalance in the thickness of the plating layer on the face surface can be easily identified by the hue. For example, in the head 1 (metal head 1a) in FIG. 4, the region near the impact point 2a on the face 2 is a single yellow color region 13, and the hue boundary line 12 is located on the outer periphery 2b outside the region near the impact point 2a on the face 2, clearly indicating that the outer periphery 2b of the face 2 is a region where the thickness of the plating layer changes. Note that the optimal impact point for hitting the ball is located near the center of gravity, so in this specification, the "region near the impact point" refers to the region within 20% of the dimension from the center of gravity to the outer periphery, as shown by the chain line in FIG. 1.

[0018] The above golf clubs have the advantage that the film thickness of the plating layer is uniformed with the region of the impact point on the face being the same color, and that the ball's flight trajectory can be more reliably uniformed, and that the wear resistance of the region of the impact point where the probability of hitting the ball is high can be more reliably improved.The above golf clubs (for example, the metal head shown in Figure 4) have the region of the impact point on the face being the same color, and the hue boundary line is located outside the region of the impact point, so that the metal head coating is beautifully decorated with a multi-hued chrome plating layer, while the position of the impact mark on the face that can be left by hitting the ball can be clearly identified.

[0019] In the golf club with a chromatic head according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the hue boundary line can be curved in multiple rows. The golf club has a feature that the hue boundary line has several rows of curved lines, forming a gradation in which multiple colors change continuously and stepwise, and the face can be made into a beautiful chromatic color with a unique hue, texture, and taste.

[0020] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the golf club with a chromatic head can have a multi-hue chrome plating layer with a color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions including any of pink, green, and yellow. The golf club described above has a feature that the face with a color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions including any of pink, green, and yellow can be made into a beautiful chromatic color with a unique color, texture, and taste.

[0021] In the golf club with a chromatic head according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the hue boundary line can be located in any of the areas of the face, top, sole, toe, heel, or back face of the metal head. The golf club described above has a feature that by locating the hue boundary line in a predetermined location, the whole or part of the metal head can be made into a beautiful chromatic color with a unique color, texture, and taste having multiple hues, rather than a uniform color.

[0022] In another embodiment of the golf club with a chromatic head of the present disclosure, a black chrome plating layer can be locally provided on the area of ​​the metal head excluding the face. This golf club has a feature that the thickness of the black chrome plating layer is made thicker than the multi-hued chrome plating layer, thereby increasing the surface strength of this area and preventing damage. [Embodiment 1]

[0023] 1 to 7 show a golf club 100 according to a first embodiment. The golf club 100 includes a shaft 9B and a head 1 connected to the tip of the shaft 9B. The golf club 100 is made of metal, and the head 1 is also a metal head 1a. The base metal of the head 1 is, for example, a metal head 1a whose entire body is made of stainless steel, titanium, soft iron, or an alloy containing any of these, and the surface of the head 1 is covered with a chromatic plating layer 10. The metal head 1a is a head 1 of a driver, an iron, or a putter. The golf club 100 can be any of the following, including a driver, an iron, and a putter. In the following, the golf club 100 will be mainly described using an iron as an example, but it can also be a driver or a putter. The shaft 9B of the golf club 100 can also be made of the same or a different metal as the head 1.

[0024] The chromatic plating layer 10 covering the surface of the head 1 is a multi-hue chrome plating layer 11 with different hues depending on the thickness. The multi-hue chrome plating layer 11 is a chrome plating layer with different hues on both sides of a hue boundary line 12 where the boundary between hues appears linearly (including linearly with a certain width). The multi-hue chrome plating layer 11 is a thin chrome plating layer with a color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions with different hues on both sides 12a, 12b of the hue boundary line 12. The multi-hue chrome plating layer 11 can have a color pattern with multiple hue regions such as pink, green, and yellow on both sides 12a, 12b of the hue boundary line 12.

[0025] The front views of Figures 3 and 4 are photographs of the face 2 of the head 1 seen from the front. The head 1 of Figure 3 has the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 gradually thickened at the outer periphery 2b of the face 1, clearly showing the state in which the hues differ depending on the thickness. The head 1 of Figure 3 has the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 gradually thinner toward the center of the face 1 except for the outer periphery 2b, and the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 is extremely thin in the striking point vicinity region 2a of the central region, with the surface color being close to the base color. The multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 is thicker at the outer periphery 2b of the face 2, and as the thickness increases, the hue changes to yellow, blue, red, etc., showing that the hue changes depending on the difference in thickness. The head 1 shown in the front view of Figure 4 has the striking point vicinity region 2a of the face 2 except for the outer periphery 2b of the face 2 with the same thickness as the yellow color region 13. The impact point vicinity region 2a is the central region of the face 2, and refers to a region within 20% of the dimension from the center of gravity to the outer peripheral edge. The outer peripheral portion 2b refers to the outer region of the face 2 outside the impact point vicinity region 2a.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the multi-hue chrome plating layer 11 can have a color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions with multiple rows of curved hue boundary lines 12. The hue boundary lines 12 can have a gradation in which the multiple colors change continuously and stepwise. The film thickness of the multi-hue chrome plating layer 11 can be, for example, several μm or less, preferably 1 μm or less, and more preferably 0.5 μm or less, to create a color pattern with beautiful hues.

[0027] The surface of the metal head 1a can be covered with a multi-hued chrome plating layer 11, which is a color pattern consisting of a plurality of hue regions whose hue changes depending on the film thickness, by the following process. (Plating bath)

[0028] The plating bath contains magnesium silicofluoride in addition to chromic anhydride and barium carbonate. The amount of chromic anhydride added to the plating bath is preferably 300 g / L to 400 g / L. If the amount of chromic anhydride added is too small, the hue of the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 tends to become gray, and if the amount is too large, the electrodeposition property decreases and it becomes difficult to develop a beautiful color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions. Therefore, the amount of chromic anhydride added is more preferably 340 g / L to 360 g / L.

[0029] The amount of barium carbonate added is preferably 10 g / L to 15 g / L. If the amount of barium carbonate added is too small, the remaining sulfate ions will make it impossible to produce a multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 with a beautiful color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions, while if the amount is too large, the stability of the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 will decrease, so it is more preferable to add 11 g / L to 13 g / L to reduce the sulfate ions in the plating bath.

[0030] The amount of magnesium fluorosilicic acid added is 0.015 g / L to 0.030 g / L, preferably 0.020 g / L to 0.025 g / L. If the amount of magnesium fluorosilicic acid added is more or less than the above range, it is not possible to realize a multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 having a beautiful color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions. Therefore, the amount of magnesium fluorosilicic acid added is adjusted to an optimal value within the above range, taking into consideration the shape of the head 1, the color pattern of the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 electrodeposited on the surface of the head 1, and the color pattern required for the application, and taking into consideration the application and the shape of the head 1.

[0031] The temperature of the plating bath can be 15°C or higher and 35°C or lower, and is more preferably 20°C or higher and 30°C or lower. By setting the temperature of the plating bath within this range, a multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 having a color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions can be electrodeposited. Therefore, the plating bath can be kept at room temperature without heating or cooling, reducing running costs, and the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 can be electrodeposited. Since the surface hardness of the chrome plating layer decreases when the temperature of the plating bath exceeds 70°C, the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 with high surface hardness can be electrodeposited within the above temperature range. (current density)

[0032] The multi-color chrome plating layer 11 is plated with a current density of 3A / dm 2 or 40A / dm 2 The current density is adjusted to an optimum value within the above range, taking into consideration the shape of the head 1, so as to realize a color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions. The current density is preferably adjusted to 5 A / dm 2 or 35A / dm 2 The three-dimensional head 1 has a localized current density change, and the hue changes with the current density change, resulting in a color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions with different hues on both sides 12a, 12b of the hue boundary line 12.

[0033] In the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11, in the area where the current density is not uniform, a hue boundary line 12 is formed where the hue changes. In the area where the current density is uniform, the film thickness is uniform. In the flat face 2, the current density is uniform and the film thickness is uniform, so that the hue can be the same. In the head 1, the impact point vicinity region 2a in the center of the face 2 is set as the same color region 13, and the hue boundary line 12 is arranged in the outer periphery 2b outside the impact point vicinity region 2a. The hue boundary line 12 of the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 can be distributed over the entire or part of the head 1, and can be arranged in the outer periphery 2b of the face 2, the top 4 (crown), the sole 5, the toe 6, the heel 7, the back face 8, and other regions. When the three-dimensional head 1 is immersed in a plating bath, the current density changes partially in the curved curved region, and the current density is uniform in the flat region. Therefore, the flat face 2 can be made uniform in current density to have a uniform color without a hue boundary line 12, while the curved flow paths such as the top 4, sole 5, toe 6, heel 7, and back face 8 can have a hue boundary line 12 by partially changing the current density.

[0034] The multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 can be plated for, for example, 4 to 30 minutes to produce a color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions. The thickness and hue of the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 change with the plating time. Plating for a period of preferably 6 to 20 minutes can produce a beautiful hue. For the anode, for example, graphite, which does not release metal ions into the plating bath, can be used. The hue of the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 can be adjusted by the imbalance of the current density, so the hue pattern can be optimized by changing the shape and relative position of the anode immersed in the plating bath opposite to the plating bath. Therefore, the hue pattern of the chrome plating layer provided on the surface can be freely set in consideration of the shape of the head 1, and an optimal pattern can be realized.

[0035] The multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 can be made to have a highly aesthetic hue with a different taste and texture from that of paint by adjusting plating conditions such as the composition of the plating bath, the current density, the solution temperature, and the plating time within a narrow specific range. The multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 can be made to have a surface reflection spectrum ranging from black to a rainbow of multiple hues by adding a limited specific amount of magnesium silicofluoride to a plating bath of chromic anhydride and further setting the current density and the solution temperature within a specific range to control the physical surface state such as the film thickness of the chrome plating layer and the chemical properties such as the composition. The multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 has a random and non-uniform hue pattern without any law (regularity), unlike a uniform artificial hue, and can be, for example, a gradation in which multiple colors change continuously and stepwise, a rainbow color in which multiple colors are adjacent to each other, colors similar to these, or a mixture or combination of these.

[0036] The multi-hue chrome plating layer 11 is a chrome plating layer 11 having a color pattern consisting of a plurality of hue regions. The multi-hue chrome plating layer 11 has a hue boundary line 12 of different hues, and is characterized in that both sides 12a, 12b of the hue boundary line 12 are different hues. The multi-hue chrome plating layer 11 has a plurality of hue regions including any of pink, green, and yellow. The multi-hue chrome plating layer 11 having a color pattern consisting of a plurality of hue regions is a color tone consisting of a plurality of colors including "pink" having a hue of 0 to 10RP (reddish purple), "green" having a hue of 0 to 10G (green), and "yellow" having a hue of 0 to 10Y (yellow). In the Munsell color system, "pink" has a hue ranging from 0 to 10RP (red-purple), "green" has a hue ranging from 0 to 10G (green), and "yellow" has a hue ranging from 0 to 10Y (yellow). The Munsell color system expresses color using the three attributes of color (hue, value, and saturation). Hue is the color tone or hue of a chromatic color, and is expressed as 10 hues: R (red), Y (yellow), G (green), B (blue), and P (purple), plus intermediate hues YR (yellow-red), GY (green-yellow), BG (blue-green), PB (purple-blue), and PR (red-purple). Value indicates the degree of brightness of a color from 0 to 10, and saturation indicates the vividness of a color. To make it easier to imagine, the intermediate hues are expressed in general shades of color: YR (yellow-red) is orange, GY (green-yellow) is yellow-green, BG (blue-green) is greenish blue, PB (purple-blue) is purplish blue, dark purple, light indigo, and PR (reddish purple). The hue, saturation, and brightness of the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 can be measured and quantified using, for example, a spectrophotometer (Minolta SPECTROPHOTOMETER CM-3700d). The flat surface of the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 was used as the measurement object, and the hue, saturation, and brightness were measured with a spectrophotometer at 100 measurement spots of 5 mm x 8 mm. As a result, for example, measurement values ​​were obtained in the following ranges for RP (red-purple) "pink": hue 0.3 to 9.5, lightness 3.4 to 9.3, and saturation 3.1 to 9.4; G (green) "green": hue 0.2 to 5.8, lightness 4.2 to 9.2, and saturation 2.0 to 7.2; and Y (yellow) "yellow": hue 0.2 to 9.3, lightness 3.2 to 8.2, and saturation 1.8 to 9.2.

[0037] Fig. 1 is a front view of the front surface of head 1 from the face 2 side. Top 4 (crown) is the upper surface or upper edge (topline) of head 1, sole 5 is the lower surface or lower edge (leading edge) of head 1, toe 6 is the tip portion (toe side) of head 1, heel 7 is the side surface (heel side) on the base side opposite to toe 6, back face 8 is the back surface of head 1, and neck 9A (hogel, socket) is the joint portion between head 1 and shaft 9B. Figs. 3 and 4 show front photographs from the face 2 side, and Fig. 5 shows a rear photograph of head 1 from the back face 8 side.

[0038] The multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 can be electrodeposited at a lower current density than the hard chrome plating layer to realize a beautiful color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions, so the thin multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 formed can prevent cracks, which are a defect specific to hard chrome plating layers, and suppress damage caused by cracks. Furthermore, the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 is electrodeposited at a lower current density in the central region including the impact point vicinity region 2a of the face 2 than in the outer periphery 2b, making it a thin film that more effectively prevents cracks from occurring, and further suppresses damage. This head 1 can cover the face 2 with a chrome plating layer of beautiful hues while suppressing damage caused by balls in the impact point vicinity region 2a, and can maintain a beautiful state for a long period of time.

[0039] In the golf club 100, the face 2 of all the heads 1 is not necessarily completely flat. For example, in the case of the face 2 of a driver, the central surface is a surface that approximates a plane with a large radius of curvature, but the outer peripheral surface is a curved surface that is slightly curved. In this head 1, the film thickness of the central region of the face 2 that is close to the plane with a large radius of curvature is equalized. Since the central region of the face 2 includes the impact point vicinity region 2a where the ball is likely to be hit, the film thickness is equalized in this region to improve wear resistance and suppress imbalance of the flight trajectory of the ball. Furthermore, since the head 1 has a high probability of hitting the ball in the impact point vicinity region 2a of the face 2 and the hitting feeling in this region is optimal, this region is made into a same-color region 13 with an equalized film thickness, and the flight trajectory of the ball is equalized.

[0040] Since the optimal impact point for hitting the ball is located near the center of gravity, the impact point vicinity region 2a is made into a same-color region 13, and the hue boundary line 12 is positioned on the outer periphery 2b outside the impact point vicinity region 2a, thereby eliminating the imbalance in the film thickness of the plating layer in the impact point vicinity region 2a, equalizing the surface hardness, and making the ball's flight trajectory uniform.

[0041] The head 1 of the first embodiment is made by connecting lead wires to a metal iron head 1a whose surface has been polished to a smooth surface, and electrodepositing a multi-colored chrome plating layer 11 over the entire surface. The above head 1 is Chromic anhydride, 350g / L Barium carbonate 12g / liter, A plating bath containing magnesium silicofluoride at 0.022 g / L was used. The plating bath temperature was 25°C and the average current density was 3A / dm 2 When plating is performed for 10 minutes using a graphite electrode as the anode, a beautiful multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 with a color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions including pink, green, and yellow is produced on the surface of the head 1. As shown in Fig. 6, the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 can be directly electrodeposited on the metal head 1a, or the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 can be laminated on a base layer 20 as described later.

[0042] The multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 covering the surface of the head 1 shown in Figures 3 and 4 has the impact point vicinity region 2a of the face 2 as a uniform color region 13, and a hue boundary line 12 is arranged on the outer periphery 2b of the impact point vicinity region 2a. The multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 covering the impact point vicinity region 2a of the head 1 is a thin film of the uniform color region 13 with an even thickness, which suppresses imbalance in surface hardness and suppresses imbalance in the flight trajectory of the ball hit in the impact point vicinity region 2a. Furthermore, since the impact point vicinity region 2a of this head 1 is the uniform color region 13, the impact mark made in the impact point vicinity region 2a of the uniform color region 13 can be clearly confirmed.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 7, the head 1 has scorelines 3 consisting of multiple rows of lateral grooves 3A in the area of ​​the face 2 where the ball is hit, but the golf club 100 has a multi-color chrome plating layer 11 that can suppress damage to the scorelines 3. The scorelines 3 are important lateral grooves 3A that impart spin to the hit ball. Damage to the scorelines 3 reduces the spin of the ball, so it is important to minimize damage to them. The scorelines 3 are susceptible to damage at the corners 3B on both sides of the opening of the lateral grooves 3A, but since this area imparts spin to the ball, it is important to suppress damage to this area. The scorelines 3 are damaged by soil and sand that gets stuck when the ball is hit, but the soil and sand that gets stuck here contains sand that is harder than metals such as stainless steel, titanium, and soft iron that are the base metal of the head 1, so it is not easy to reduce damage to the scorelines 3 caused by the soil and sand that gets stuck. The multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 is made of a chrome plating layer that is one of the hardest coatings in electroplating, and therefore has a higher surface hardness than base metals such as stainless steel, titanium, and soft iron, and can suppress abrasion caused by sand and dirt by covering the openings of the scorelines 3 with the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 that has a high surface hardness. Furthermore, by plating with the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11, it is easy to adhere to corners, and the film thickness of the corners 3B, which are the corners of the grooves 3A of the scorelines 3, becomes thicker than the flat parts of the scorelines 3, improving the surface strength and suppressing or reducing damage to the corners 3B of the scorelines 3, which are susceptible to damage. [Embodiments 2 and 3]

[0044] The multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 can be electroplated onto the surface of the head 1 via an underlayer 20. For the underlayer 20, a hard chrome plating layer 21 (embodiment 2) or a bright nickel plating 22 (embodiment 3) can be used.

[0045] The head 1 of a golf club 200 according to the second embodiment shown in Fig. 8 has a color pattern having a plurality of hue regions in the same manner as in the first embodiment, except that a hard chrome plating layer 21 is provided as a base layer 20 by a conventional method, and a multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 is electrodeposited on the surface of the base layer 20. The hard chrome plating layer 21 increases the surface hardness of the base metal, allowing the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 to be laminated. This head 1 has the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 laminated on the hard base layer 20, and thus has the advantage of being able to improve the surface hardness that determines the flight distance while further suppressing damage caused by hitting with a ball.

[0046] The hard chrome plating layer 21 can be thickened to increase the surface hardness of the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11. If the hard chrome plating layer 21 is thicker than 0.5 μm, cracks 21a will occur, but by laminating the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 on the surface, the adverse effects of the cracks 21a can be prevented. As shown in the enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 8, the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 laminated on the surface penetrates the cracks 21a of the hard chrome plating layer 21. Furthermore, the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 that penetrates the cracks 21a is firmly bonded to the hard chrome plating layer 21 by the anchor effect to form an integral plating layer. Therefore, this plating layer has the characteristic of effectively suppressing damage to the face 2 caused by the impact of a ball. Furthermore, the laminated structure of the chrome layers in which the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 is laminated on the hard chrome plating layer 21 improves the surface hardness of the face 2, thereby realizing the effect of extending the flight distance that is determined by the surface hardness. Therefore, the head 1, which has the hard chrome plating layer 21 as the base layer 20 and the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 laminated on top of this, has a surface with a beautiful color pattern consisting of multiple hue areas, and can achieve the advantage of being able to increase the ball's flight distance.

[0047] 9, the head 1 of the golf club 300 of the third embodiment can use a nickel plating layer, for example, a bright nickel plating layer 22, as the base layer. The head 1 of the golf club 300 is provided with a bright nickel plating layer 22 as the base layer 20 on the head 1 by a conventional method, and the head 1 is provided with a color pattern having a plurality of hue regions in the same manner as in the first embodiment, except that the multi-hue chrome plating layer 11 is electrodeposited on the surface of the base layer 20. This golf club 300 has a feature that the bright nickel plating layer 22 of the base layer 20 makes the surface of the multi-hue chrome plating layer 11 laminated thereon a shiny surface, and a more beautiful color pattern consisting of a plurality of hue regions can be realized.

[0048] The bright nickel plating layer 22 can provide a highly smooth mirror finish to the surface of the head 1, and the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 can be laminated thereon. The multi-hued chrome plating layer 11, which is laminated and electrodeposited on the bright nickel plating layer 22, can be made into a more glossy and beautiful mirror surface, and a more beautiful color pattern consisting of multiple hue regions can be realized. The head 1 having the bright nickel plating 22 as the base layer 20 has the feature that the surface of the metal head 1a can be made into a glossy mirror surface by laminating the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 on the bright nickel plating layer 22 without mirror finishing the surface of the metal head 1a. The structure in which the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 is laminated via the bright nickel plating layer 22 of the base layer 20 can reduce the imbalance in the thickness of the base layer 20 and the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11, and can equalize the total thickness. [Embodiment 4]

[0049] The multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 does not necessarily have to be provided on the entire surface, and the golf club can have a black chrome plating layer locally provided on the area of ​​the head 1 except the face 2. The black chrome plating layer can be electrodeposited by masking the area of ​​the head 1 surface on which the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 is provided and immersing the head 1 in a predetermined plating bath. The area on which the black chrome plating layer is provided is, for example, the back face 8, the sole 5, etc. The back face 8 is an area on which characters and the like are engraved, and a black chrome plating layer is provided on the back face 8, so that the engraved characters can be clearly displayed. The sole 5 is an area that comes into contact with the ground during a swing, and a black chrome plating layer is provided on the back face 8, so that damage can be prevented by increasing the surface strength. Furthermore, the black chrome plating layer is thicker than the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11 and is laminated on the multi-hued chrome plating layer 11, thereby realizing the feature that the back face 8, the sole 5, etc. on which the black chrome plating layer is provided can be kept beautiful black for a longer period of time. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] The present invention can be effectively used for golf clubs having beautiful color patterns on the heads. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 100, 200, 300...Golf clubs 1...Head 1a…Metal head 2. Face 2a... Area near the dot 2b…Outer periphery 3…Scoreline 3A…Yokomizo 3B…Corner 4. Top 5. Sole 6…Tou 7. Heel 8…Back face 9A…Neck 9B…Shaft 10...Colored plating layer 11...Multi-color chrome plating layer 12...Hue boundary line 12a, 12b...both sides 13...Same color area 20…base layer 21...Hard chrome plating layer 21a…Crack 22...Bright nickel plating layer

Claims

1. The surface of the metal head is provided with a chromatic plating layer. The chromatic plating layer is A multi-hued chrome plating layer with different hues depending on the thickness. The multi-color chrome plating layer is Both sides of the hue boundary line are different hues. A golf club with a chromatic head, which is a chrome plating layer consisting of multiple hue areas.

2. 2. A golf club having a chromatic head according to claim 1, The metal head is The area around the impact point on the face is the same color area. A golf club having a chromatic head, the hue boundary line being positioned outside the area near the impact point.

3. 2. A golf club having a chromatic head according to claim 1, The hue boundary line is A golf club with a chromatic head that has multiple rows of curved lines.

4. 2. A golf club having a chromatic head according to claim 1, The multi-color chrome plating layer is The golf club has a chromatic head with a color pattern consisting of a plurality of hue regions including any one of pink, green, and yellow.

5. A golf club having a chromatic head according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The hue boundary line is A golf club having a chromatic head, the chromatic color being arranged in any one of the areas of the face, top, sole, toe, heel, and back face of the metal head.

6. 2. The golf club of claim 1, The metal head is A golf club having a black chrome plating layer locally provided on areas other than the face.

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